Analogue Chic

Fair Indigo has sourced the most eco-sustainable t-shirts ever created.

They had everything we stood for under one roof. Organic cotton, fairly made products (in a USA factory to boot), a design aesthetic that was modern but not edgy, fabrics like butter, eco-friendly dyes, prints done at a facility powered by wind and solar?!

Take that, American Apparel:

1. organic cotton
2. fair trade
3. non-toxic dyes
4. wind and solar powered production.

You can peruse the shirts (men’s and women’s) here.

I do actually have one problem with these.

I would not wear a single one of these in public.  For yoga, walking, or other exercise– sure.  But for shopping, going to a museum, or dinner out with my husband– No Way.

Philosophically, I consider myself a hippie.  And I’m coming to terms with re-incorporating some ‘bohemian/hippie’ style elements back into my grown-up wardrobe (I rocked the head-to-toe thrift shop hippie look throughout high school and the first couple years of college, and then got over it).  But, I also have learned to present myself the way I wish to be perceived, and to dress appropriately to the occasion– I look professional for business occasions, I look sexy and stylish for social events.  And I always give my own creative spin, because as a budding creative career woman, I want to be prepared to meet anyone and give them a visual representation of my personality.

So yes, it’s a question of personal taste– I’m not into the graphic t-shirt trend (now at least 5 years old, about as played out as Uggs…).  And while I wear jeans most days, I don’t consider myself well-dressed in jeans and a tee.  But it’s definitely a question of Style (capitol S intended) as well.  These "Eastern"-influenced graphics with pithy sayings about "sustainability" and "bliss" and "balance" are not versatile enough for a modern woman to incorporate into her day wardrobe. A t-shirt should be able to work under a cardigan for breakfast or lunch with friends, under a blazer for work, and maybe with some killer slacks and heels for cocktails or dinner.  It should not look like you just got out of the gym.

Proclaimeth the fashion dictator.

The problem I have with most apparel that is technically environmentally sustainable, is that it is usually not marketable to hipsters and people who actually give a darn about sartorial aesthetics– the people who buy a lot of clothe$.  It usually looks like: 1) something yoga-specific, 2) an activist slogan shirt, or 3) the love child of abstract textile art and a burlap sack.  Even clothing sewn by hand by a self-employed designer, constructed from reclaimed/repurposed materials (like an Etsy shopowner I know…) tends to look too arts-and-craftsy to ever pass muster on Project Runway.  Which gives a bad rap to sustainability in the realm of style, which keeps demand low for sustainable manufacturing, which creates low profitability for designers and producers to work sustainably, which means tons of waste and toxicity continue to flow out of the fashion industry.

There are indie designers doing beautiful, chic things with organic cotton, and some do work wonders with repurposed fabrics.  And bigger fashion corporations are starting to incorporate some sustainable elements into their lines.  But I fear the complete package just won’t catch on if the most sustainable producers are only putting graphic t-shirts on the market.